


We Can Start Anew

by Unknown_Artist



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Catra (She-Ra) Redemption, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:15:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unknown_Artist/pseuds/Unknown_Artist
Summary: After the activation of the portal, Prime comes to ravage Etheria. With the Horde forced to defect and the disappearance of Catra, Adora has to figure out how to put the pieces back together without Shera to help her. Brightmoons resources are running low with more and more Etherians seeking refused at the castle, but with the discovery of a lost kingdom called Halfmoon and those they call Magicats; things may be looking brighter for the rebellion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CANON DIVERGENCE:The events happening in this fanfiction are not following the canon events. Rated M for violence. Read the notes at the beginning they will give the timeline.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Canon Divergence Current Event:
> 
> The events happening in this fanfiction are not following the canon events.
> 
> Catra activates the portal, Prime comes about a few hours afterward, Hordak is taken onto Prime ship and the clones and on Etheria to take over. The Clones overpower the Fright Zone and the Horde is forced to defect since all of them are just people who used to be forced child soldiers. Catra goes missing and the rest of the Horde flees to the crimson waste. Adora shatters the sword about 8 months later severing her ties with Shera. (Glimmer does activate the heart of Ethera but I don't really go into detail about that. It's just kinda implied, that's the one event that follows each other. The heart of Etheria activated and then the sword shattered. If I go into every little detail the chapters gonna be a million words lol.) 
> 
> Remember this is a canon divergence. Meaning events are added, removed and or adjusted to fit the story.
> 
> Sorry for any weird mistakes, I am very dyslexic. I do try to do proof readings......try.
> 
> Also Adora has short hai

Almost a year has passed since the portal incident and the coming of Horde Prime. The fate of Etheria seems to grow darker as each day passes. The rebellion has done their best to keep the new wave of enemies at bay, the endless battles wearing them down. The resources that were once plentiful are now being stretched so thin no one knows how much longer they can keep going. On top of that Glimmer has taken over Brightmoon as their new queen. With the death of her mother and war looming over her head, she and the rest of the rebellion find themselves scrambling to keep up. The Horde defected as soon as Prime made his presence known on the planet. The once-powerful enemies reduced to scared outlaws. No one knows where they went, probably fleeing to the crimsons n waste, though there was no place that was safe from Prime. It was nice not having to deal with constant attacks from the Horde. That was one less enemy army they had to worry about, though many wondered where the two head war criminals were. Rumor has it that Hordak was taken onto Primes ship as soon as the invasion hit. No one has any word on Catra, but she went missing during the time Hordak did.

Adora found herself thinking about it obsessively every day; she had not seen Catra in almost a year, which was unusual since they were enemies with a complicated past. She always saw her on the battlefield, her once feline friend greeting her with open claws and venom for words. Now Adora only comes face to face with clones and drones. She should be happy not to see Catra leading an evil army, fighting her, ready to kill her, but she worries for her. Adora has always worried about her. Since the day Prime came and Catras disappearance she has been trying to figure out what exactly happened. Catra wouldn’t have just defected and run like the rest of the Horde; she would have stood her ground and fought. She was fearless, ready to give her all to prove herself. No, she wouldn’t have run. Adora's brows furrow and with a sigh, she makes her way down the hall. She hopes Catra isn’t dead, the thought of never being able to see her again was too painful. She had finally come to terms that Catra would always be her enemy, would hate her, but at least she would be able to lay eyes on her. To see her across the battlefield, but the thought of Catra being dead was sickening for her. Her heart ached and she runs her hands through her short hair. No, she shouldn’t be thinking like that. There was no proof she was dead so there is no need to think she might be. So much were happening all at once and it was getting harder to keep herself from breaking down.

It had been a few months since she destroyed her sword after Glimmer activated the heart of Etheria. Now not longer having a connect with light hope or Shera, Adora felt hopeless. She relied on Shera to give her strength and be the bridge to answers. The rebellion needed her to be Shera, needed the strength of Shera but now she was just Adora with no power at all. No longer the hero it felt like everyone started to slowly lose hope. At least that is how Adora saw things. If only she could bring Shera back, to be a hero again, to save Etheria. Stopping in the middle of the hallway she takes a deep breath. She was stressed and on edge but she knew her focus was needed. Today marks the 3rd-day silence fell onto Etheria. There had been no new reports of Prime activity and of course, everyone was suspicious. While the others took this time to rest Adora made sure to be on extra guard. With all of the princesses currently staying at the castle, there was a little more help, but it just wasn’t enough. Brightmoon was the last standing defense against prime and they were slowly breaking. Everyone was breaking.

Adora continued to make her way down the hall. Eventually, she reached a large set of doors that led to the meeting room. The other rebellion members were out on duty so with the extra free time she Glimmer and Bow agreed a meeting would be in order. Glimmer had something important she had been working on apparently and now was the perfect time to discuss it. Whatever it was though she hoped it gave them some sort of advantage in this fight. She pushed open the doors and is greeted by two guards. They nod to her and she nods back before making her way over to the large table. Bow and Glimmer were already there, despite getting some sleep they still looked tired. Everyone looked tired.

“Adora, sleep okay?” Bow smiled at her brightly. He was always so cheerful holding everyone together.

“Yeah, I slept alright I guess. Bout as much as one can sleep right now.” She smiles back at him though it was weak as she sat down. Glimmer looks over at her and gives her the same weak smile.

“We’re all kind of like that today, well every day. Prime has been quiet lately. We should take advantage of this time since we may not get this chance again.”

“Yeah, I wonder why. Maybe he’s trying to ambush us?” Bow looks between the two crossing his arms. He seems to be the only one with energy at the moment. Adora shakes her head.

“I don’t think he would do that, Prime knows we are wearing down, now would be the best time to strike at full force. He has an endless army. It has to be another reason.”

“Adora’s right.” Glimmer adds. “This would be the perfect time to hit us, we barely have the resources to feed everyone, Prime controls all the other kingdoms. Something is up with him. He could be preparing for something big, or waiting for something.” Adora cocks an eyebrow at her.

“What would he be waiting for? I mean he has everything already.” Adora clenches her fist feeling a wave of guilt hit her. He was her job as Shera to protect Etheria and she had failed. Prime controlled almost the entire planet and here she was doing nothing about it.

“Adora,” Bow places a hand on her fist and she looks over at him. He gives her a reassuring look and firmly squeezing her hand until she eventually relaxes. “We are all in this together. We’ll figure this out. Right Glimmer? You said you had something you were researching for a couple of days now. What was it?”

“Right.” She responds adjusting herself in the chair a bit as Adora and Bow focus on her. “Well, right now we need numbers on our side and resources. Since Prime occupies a good chunk of Etheria it’s hard to gather basic things like food and building materials. We have more Etherian citizens taking refuge here and it won’t be long before our defense breaks. I’ve been looking through the old library these past couples of days hoping that maybe I can find something, anything that could give us an advantage. Like maybe a weakness in Primes offense or just anything in general. Unfortunately, there aren’t many records about Prime in our grasp. Most of the things I’ve read are just old battle stories from long ago, but those are just about the Horde. Nothing on Prime.” She sighs. “I was going to stop, but I eventually found something last night that I thought could help.” Adora looks at her hopeful.

“What is it? I hope it’s not about the Heart…..” Glimmer looks at him. She knew there was still tension between her and everyone since she activated the Heart of Etheria, a decision she regretted. Bow eyes her yet there was little anger in the gaze, just a bit of anointment. She shakes her head.

“No, another Kingdom a near ancient one called Halfmoon. There isn’t much text on them for current times but this Kingdom was known for its warriors. From what I read from the days when my parents were young Halfmoon warriors are brutal and efficient. They specialize in combat and battle strategies using numbers and raw strength to overpower their enemies. Whenever a kingdom needed to go into battle they called on Halfmoon first.”

“That’s perfect. We can recruit them and get aid. Where are they?” Glimmer looks at them for a moment.

“It’s underground.”

“Underground?” Both Bow and Adora speak in unison, confused at how an entire kingdom would be underground.

“Yes, underground. There is an old map of how to get to the general location. Then we just had to find the entrance.”

“Okay so what are we waiting for, we should go now depending on how far it is,” Adora says eagerly. Glimmer grimaces.

“Well that’s the plan but there is an issue I ran into as I was digging through the books…..” Glimmer hesitates for a moment. “Halfmoon lost their queen years ago when the Horde first came to Etheria.”

“Well, that’s more reason for them to join! We have a common enemy.” Bow says.

“Brightmoon didn’t aid them…..” Bow and Adora's eyes widen. “Brightmoon did not come to help them when the Horde came and killed their queen. At the time my kingdom was aiding Salineas. We couldn’t be in two places at once. Halfmoon fled underground where they would be safe but vowed to never help us no matter what. There is a formal letter signed by them.” Adora sinks back in the chair, the wheels in her head-turning. She could understand the anger they must have felt.

“Do they have a new Queen? Maybe we can reason with her. Times have changed.” Bow says doing his best to offer options.

“I don’t know, like I said there isn’t much on them for current times, for all we know they don’t exist anymore.”

“So you’re saying your plan is to hope this ‘lost’ kingdom exists so we can recruit them?” Bow questions crossing his arms. Glimmer nods.

“That’s all I have honestly. That’s the only thing that stood out to me in the library. I’m not sure why but I just have this gut feeling if we could find them it would benefit us a lot. It could turn the war around for us.” Bow sighs.

“We would be risking ourselves trying to find them, I bet it take s a couple days to get there.”

“Just a day or two, I could teleport us there but I’m not familiar with the location.” Bow looks over to Adora giving her a questioning look.

“We have to try,” Adora says locking eyes with Glimmer. “I’m with you on this.” Glimmer smiles but it fade quickly.

“There is one thing I should mention before we prepare for the journey.” Adora and Bow give her their full attention. She takes a while to speak mainly staring at Adora, whatever she is about to say will affect her in some way. “The people of Halfmoon are different……..”

“What do you mean?” Adora stares at her.

“They aren’t like us, ya know humans.”

“So what’s the issue? There are plenty of civilians here that aren’t humans. That’s nothing new.”

“Magicats, they are Magicats as in what Catra is……..” Adora's eyes widen as she stared at Glimmer in shock.

“Wait, wait wait! Others like Catra exist? Like a whole kingdom?” Adora had some many questions, if these were Catras people was Catra also stolen like she was? How would she react to this information if she knew? Would she care to know? Adora bites her lip uneasily.

“Yeah, though I didn’t know until last night. My mother.” She falls silent for a while, they all do. “She never told me about them, I’m assuming since things went bad for us and Halfmoon she never felt the need to bring them up. But they look just like Catra, anatomy wise so that means she has to be a Magicat as well. Which brings up another issue. Catra is still missing if she isn’t already dead. “

“She’s not dead.” Adora blurts out. There is silence in the room. Bow and Glimmer are well aware of Adora's and Catra's complicated past. Despite Catra being their enemy and the rebellion fighting the Horde several times they know Catra is a sensitive topic for Adora, especially now since she has been missing for so long. Glimmer sighs.

“We have to explore all possibilities Ador-”

“I know, I know just. I don’t want to hear it. I-” She sighs. “Until we find any proof she’s dead, she is alive.” Glimmer eyes her but she nods not wanting to press the death of Catra anymore.

“Alright, well Catra is still……….. missing and we have no leads on where she is. There is a small possibility she could have found this kingdom. They would take her in probably since she is a Magicat.”

“You don’t think that’s possible though right? I mean if this kingdom still exists they have done a great job of staying hidden. It would be hard for just anyone to find them.” Bow questions.

“I’m not sure but Hordak is the founder of the Horde, I’m sure he was there when they lost their queen so he may know their location, and if Catra was his trusted second in command she could have access to that information.”

“That doesn’t sound likely, I mean Catra would have probably gone there herself. A Kingdom of her people. There is no way she wouldn’t investigate.” Adora adds.

“Maybe, but still we have to be prepared to possibly run into her. We can’t afford any surprises. Not now. Catra is out there somewhere and we must be prepared.”

“Do you think she’d still fight? After all that has happened? I mean she doesn’t have an army anymore.” Bow shifts his gaze to Adora.

“I don’t know. I hope she doesn’t fight us if we do see her.” She mutters slightly sinking back in her chair. “If she does fight…….then we have to do what we always have done.” Catra, Magicats, a hidden kingdom. If there was a chance to lay eyes on her one more time she would take it.

“We should leave first thing in the morning, for now, it’s best for us to read up on as much Magicat and Halfmoon text we can. The more educated we are on their traditions and culture the higher chance we have of getting them on our side.” She looks back at Glimmer and she nods in agreement.

“Alright, let's start.”


	2. This is your redemption (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra barely made it to the large clearing alive. Explosions that could be heard in the far distance were now faint to the ear. She clutches her side, blood spilling the more she moved. Dropping to her knees her body struggled to hold itself up. She looked up to the sky, how pathetic she must look right now. Broken, wounded, and on the steps of death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is part 1 of Catra's flashback from when she is first accepted into Halfmoon.

_Catra barely made it to the large clearing alive. Explosions that could be heard in the far distance were now faint to the ear. She clutches her side, blood spilling the more she moved. Dropping to her knees her body struggled to hold itself up. She looked up to the sky, how pathetic she must look right now. Broken, wounded, and on the steps of death. She never thought this was how things would end for her, but honestly what exactly did she expect. This is what she deserves, it wasn’t like she was destined for anything else but failure. From the start she was going to fail, tears stung the corners of her eyes and her hands fell flat to the ground, her right one quickly coming up to hold her side. She_ _grinds_ _her teeth at the pain and the tears finally fall. Her head h_ _a_ _ng_ _s_ _low and she let out a weak cry into the darkness. The Horde was no more, Horde Prime had invaded the planet and was destroying anything and anyone that didn’t bow to him. The members of the Horde quickly fled as the clones flooded the Fright Zone; no longer wanting a part of the chaos. She watched Hordak be snatched away by the clones though he did not put up a fight, something bout the look in his eyes gave away his hidden fear. Fear that Catra had never seen before. It wasn’t long before they spotted her far off in the corner and was chased down. She fought her best and was able to escape but not without injuries. Sharp alien-like nails dug into her left side causing a large, deep, and gory wound. She was used to pain, but that_ _this_ _on a different level, it was slow, deliberate as if they were savoring the moment. Luck seemed to get her out of their grasped and as she ran she noticed none of them followed her. She wondered why they didn’t surely they would be able to catch her in her injured state._

_Her body gives out and she hits the ground with a light thud. She rolls onto her back groaning as she feels her side tear open even more. She is sure she looks pale right now because the amount of blood that keeps gushing out is unsightly. Her breaths are_ _choppy_ _and she closes her eyes clutching her side desperately. Maybe if she died here the suffering would stop, maybe she wouldn’t feel so empty, so guilty, so horrible about herself. Her ears twitch at the sound of movement coming her way. They must have found her, no need of getting up, not like she would be able to fight anyways. She waits for the final blow or a rough yank of her neck but nothing like that comes. Instead, she feels a large hand rest on the side of her cheek. She opens her eyes to try and make out the figure hovering over her but she’s lost too much blood_ _and_ _her vision_ _is_ _blur_ _ry_ _. She groans as she lifted into strong arms the change in position forcing her wound to pull again before she finally slips into the bliss of unconsciousness._

_The next time she opens her eyes she finds herself in a room she has never seen before. Large stone like walls surrounds her. It takes her a moment to adjust her eyes before she can scan the room. She’s currently laying on a large bed, soft and comfortable. Her eyes make their way quickly around the room. She spots nightstands next to her, a desk with things she couldn’t make out on it, and a dresser on the far right-hand corner. She took note of the door that was located to the right of her, it looked like that was the only exit. She turns back to the table and attempts to try and make out the items on the table were. Squinting her eyes, she starts to sit up. Regret hits her quickly and she lets out a raspy cry. Her back hits the bed and she instantly grips her side, soon remembering about her injury. She was expecting to be met with matted bloody fur but instead her hand meets the texture of a bandage. Confused and still in pain she allows only her eyes and head to move around the room again. Where was she and who brought her here? She also took note that she was completely naked under the blanket, a bit of embarrassment crashes over her and she holds the covers close. She would wait until someone comes. Maybe she was a prisoner? No, besides Prime and the Rebellion she doesn’t have any other threatening enemies and the Rebellion tends to occupy sparkly places not a dull lit room with stone walls. There was some commotion outside of the door and Catra prepared herself for whatever was about to come. What time was it and how long was she out? As the door opens her eyes widen in disbelief, a female, large and strong walked in. She had short fur, a tail, and cat eyes just like Catra. Her fur was_ _gray_ _with a white streak going down the middle of her nose. Bright orange eyes stared back at her._

_“I see you are awake. How are you feeling?” She makes her way closer to the bed causing Catra to panic and sho_ _o_ _t up. The motion opening up her wound and she doubles over onto her good side. She pants a bit of saliva dripping from her mouth. She quickly forgets about being nude in the presence of a stranger because the pain in her side overrides the embarrassment. The female quickly rushed to her and grabs her shoulders.“Please lay down, if you do that again you will never heal.” Catra groaned and allowed herself to be gently pushed back down onto the bed. The female gently removed the hand that covered the bandage. She was bleeding, a lot. “I will have to re-clean the wound and then dress it again.” She makes her way to the table and fumbles with some things. She returns and sits on the bed next to Catras' left side. She lays a bowl on the nightstand and dips a rag in it. As she pulled it out it drips a strange_ _light blue_ _liquid, but Catra doesn’t question it. If this woman wanted her dead she would have been dead by now. She uses her free hand to tear the bandage with her claw, being extra careful not to meet flesh. Once the bandage was free she moved it aside and placed the cloth directly onto the wound. Catras eyes opened wide and she grabbed onto the female forearm tears stinging her eyes. Claws dig into the female's arm but she didn’t seem to flinch. Catra gasps and then clenches her teeth trying not to buck off the bed. “I am sorry this is causing you pain.” She gently places her free hand on Catras lower stomach holding her down. “I promise this will heal you. Please bear through it.” Catra lets out a snarl as the cloth is pressed a bit harder into the wound. Eventually, she begins to loosen her grip on her forearm slowly slipping into an unconscious state again._

_She drifts in and out of sleep catching a few glances of the female. She feels herself being lifted slightly and then something warm is smeared onto her followed by the new bandages being applied. Her eyes keep closing but her ears stay as alert as possible. She feels the bed shift and she groans. A hand is pressed to her forehead. “Hey, I need to you take this medicine for me.” Her head is slightly tilted up and she feels a cup to her lips. Without thinking she drinks it_ _;_ _a bit of it spilling on her but is cleaned off with a warm cloth when she’s finished. Catra sighs as her head is laid back down on the pillow. “I shall return later. Rest.” Within minutes she’s gone and Catra drifts off again._

_A few weeks have passed since she has been in this room, since she’s been wherever this place was. She is able to walk around the room, but she has yet to leave. She wonders how long she will stay here. The female from the first night continues to come and tend to her multiple times out of the day. Catra can have her wound cleaned without passing out, it’s almost fully healed now, whatever medicine she’s given it is_ _speeding up_ _her healing process. She’s not sure if it’s the stuff she is drinking or the stuff that’s put on the wound that’s doing the trick. Either way, she is grateful for the pain to be gone. Each time the female comes in she speaks to Catra in a friendly yet formal tone. She only asks questions concerning her physical health and she tends to make a lot of eye contact when she does so. As if she is looking for a different answer than what Catra gives her. Catra doesn’t feel unsafe with her yet she doesn’t feel fully safe as well. She has never seen another like her, never knew others existed. She’s laying in the bed when the female comes in_ _again_ _. She had given Catra a pair of regular clothing. Nothing fancy, brown pants and a brown shirt to match. She looked like a civilian who lived on the streets to be honest. Catra doesn’t mind, at least she has some clothes. She heads over to the bed as usual and places a hand on Catra's forehead. Maybe she was checking her temperature, though Catra feels a lot better than she did the first night._

_“May I?” She asks looking at Catra's shirt. Catra lifts it so she could see the bandage. No bleeding. She peels it a bit to take a look under and is pleased. “You heal well. You are true to your bloodline.” Catra blinks._

_“What are you talking about?” They lock eyes and she moves her hand allowing Catra to let her shirt down. “And who are you, where am I? I’ve been here for a while and you’ve done whatever you wanted without an explanation. A-am I a prisoner? What do you want with me….” She was anxious for answers but the female did not seem to be affected by the outburst. She just stares at Catra for a while before taking a deep breath._

_“Forgive me, I know I should have explained. You are in Halfmoon, the Kingdom of the Magicats.” Catra cocked an eyebrow at her._

_“Magicats? What is what? Some princess stuff.” She grimaces._

_“What is Magicats? It’s what I am, it’s what you are. We are Magicats. Feline hybrids_ _is something humans call us sometimes_ _.”_

_“Wait wait, you mean I’m a Magicat?”_

_“Yes, of course? What did you think you were?” Catra opened her mouth to say something but stopped._

_“I-I don’t know…..” The female looked at her, feeling pity._

_“I see, well you are a Magicat as well as I and this is a healing room in the Halfmoon Castle. I found you near our entrance, wounded and near death. I carried you here to nurse you back to health.”_

_“Why..” Catra mutters the word just flying out of her mouth without thinking._

_“You are one of us. We do not leave behind our own.” Catra turns away so she isn’t looking at her._

_“You should have left me there to die.” She bites her lip, she didn’t deserve this kindness, she didn’t deserve anything._

_“I could not bring myself to do so. Despite you being in Horde clothing.” Catra’s eyes widen and she turns back to her. They locked eyes. “Yes, I recognize the clothing. You are a Horde soldier are you not?” Catra nods slightly staring up at the ceiling._

_“I was.”_

_“I see, so you really are the stolen one.” Catra's eyes darted to her._

_“What did you say?”_

_“Nothing, I’m sure the council would prefer to speak to you about that matter. Anyways I don’t believe I introduced myself. I am Sil, a head warrior of the guard. Fun fact I am the youngest to be appointed to become a head warrior.” She grins_ _in a way that was full of cockiness._ _Since she has been here she has only seen somber facial expressions from Sil. She shakes her head, focus._

_“Wait, don’t just skip passed my question. What do you mean the stolen one?” She shoots her a glare and Sil holds her gaze._

_“And what might your name be?” She asks as if she didn’t even hear Catra._

_“I’m not telling you, answer my question.”_

_“I will answer when you answer.” Catra grinds her teeth._

_“I asked you first!”_

_“And I ask you second.”_

_“Are you a child?!” Catra snaps and Sil smirks._

_“Are you?” With a groan, Catra places her hands on her faces rubbing her temple before responding again. If she wanted answers out of this woman she would need to play along._

_“Catra…..it’s Catra.” Sil nods._

_“See that wasn’t too bad.”_

_“Answer my question now.”_

_“I don’t think I am the best person to answer that.” Catra was about to snap but was quickly cut off. “But like I said. The council would have no problem speaking on that matter.”_

_“And where do I speak to this mysterious Council.” Sil stands and there is a knock at the door._

_“Looks like now.” Four large magicats walked into the room, a female and three other males all wearing what it appeared to be battle clothing. All four of them looked older than she and Sil, maybe somewhere in their 40s or 50s. They surround the bed, eyes zoning in on Catra. She shifts uncomfortably under their gaze. Catra glances over to Sil who takes a step back but gives her a small nod. Seconds turn to minutes before anyone said anything. Catra wondered if she would be attacked despite Sil going through all that trouble to heal here. She wouldn’t have healed her just to be killed off right? Right?_

_“You were brought in clothing that resembles the Horde.” One of them speaks, the female that first entered. Her pelt was orange and she had a white diamond-shaped marking on her forehead. Catra stares at her feeling intimidated by her large size and piercing stare. Did they all stare like this? “Well.”_

_“Yes, I was wearing Horde clothing.” She wasn’t sure what else to say figuring it was best just to answer questions as they were asked. She was in no condition to fight or to start one._

_“It has been a while since we have seen Horde clothing, the insignia on this sleeve tells me you are of high rank. Meaning you are more than just a Horde Soldier. Am I correct?”_

_“Yes….”_

_“What was your position.”_

_“Second in command.”_

_“To….”_

_“Hordak.” Everyone's eyes widen and they take a few glances at each other._

_“You served under Hordak after what he has done to your people.” One of the males says._

_“My people?” Catra stares at them. “I’m not sure what you mean. Until Sil rescued me I thought I was the only one that looked like me. I never knew about a whole Kingdom like me.” They watch her carefully and the female makes her way to the side of the bed leaning into where Catra laid. Her heart pounded, maybe she said something wrong. Now up close she could see how bright her green eyes were. They stare into Catras seeming to look through her instead of at her. Catra swallowed daring not to move, though her instinct told her to run, to fight, do something._

_“So you are telling me you had no idea this Kingdom was here, that you just so happened to be saved by Sil?” The female's expression still did not change nor did she move from towering over Catra._

_“Yes.” Catra's ears pin back. “I’ve known nothing but the Horde. I grew up there, all of the childhood memories are there. That’s all I know. I just stumbled into the field, honestly hoping to die there.” The female looks over to Sil and Sil locks eyes with her._

_“I guess you were right Sil, she is the one that was stolen. The one we lost long ago.” She turns back to Catra and stands up straight._

_“What did they name you?”_

_“Catra.” She snorts._

_“Catra, no very original but what can you expect from the Horde. From Hordak” She whips her tail and the others sit. Sil stays standing. “I am going to tell you a story that may be hard for you to believe since you would not have had a memory of it.” Catra wasn’t sure how many more surprised she would be able to take but she didn’t have a choice. “Our kingdom used to be above ground, our previous queen and the other kingdoms got along well. The Horde came and war let loose upon the land. It was dark times for everyone of Etheria. During the midst of everything, our Queen Cyra had given birth to a healthy female kit. One eye blue, the other yellow.” Catras eyes widen as she listens to the story. “During an attack, the Horde attacked our kingdom. Amongst the chaos, they were able to get to Cyra who at the time was trying to flee with her kit who was barely a year old. The king did his best to buy her time but he was struck down and killed. By the time the council reached them the queen was also killed and the kit was nowhere to be found. Some thought the kit was also killed but after investigation and no_ _body_ _had been_ _found we all concluded that the_ _she_ _was stolen. We sent out many hunting parties to search for her, but she was never found. Weakened and without a Kingdom to shelter us we were forced to go underground to start a new life. Without a queen, the council_ _, made of the four strongest warriors,_ _has been forced to keep the new kingdom going waiting and hoping our princess would return to claim her title as queen.”_

_“What does this story have to do with me,” Catra says suspiciously._

_“You are the missing kit. The one we lost long ago. The one_ _the_ _Horde stole to_ _be_ _used as a child soldier.” Catra looks over at Sil confusion filled her eyes, Sil simply stared back at her._

_“That's not possible. I have no family.” She pants. “You have to be mistaken. I am a Horde soldier.”_

_“There is no mistake. You are the lost one. The princess that was stolen as a kit. It makes sense since you grew up in the Horde of course you would think you had no family. You were too young to remember. It is not common for us to have eyes of two different colors. You fit the description perfectly. You even have the same fur markings.” Catra shakes her head, there was no way this was happening right now. “You are to become the next queen-”_

_“Stop!” Catra snaps. “Just stop!” No one looked surprised by her reaction._ _“_ _Whoever you think I am get it out of your heads! I am not lost whatever the hell you are talking about. I am Catra! A Horde commander! A war criminal. I am the enemy! You-you can’t just bring me her, patch me up, feed me, and give me a bed to sleep in! You can’t just shove your kindness onto me. I am nothing! Do you hear me?” She spitting now raised out of the bed tossing the cover off of her. “Nothing!” Her feet hit the ground and she gets in a defensive stance. “You don’t know me.” No one moves. They know she isn’t a treat to them right now, not in her current state, not without numbers, they know she’s scared, they can sense it. The guilt of all of her crimes catching up with her, finally spilling out, finally coming to light. The things she always wanted to say the things she’s always felt deep down, finally come spilling out. The orange female slowly makes her way to her and Catra takes a few steps back._

_“Fear is okay, guilt is okay. I don’t know all you have done, but anyone who serves the Horde is known to do very bad things. Things that would be deemed unforgivable. We would not normally accept in a former member of the Horde, but we cannot look past the fact that you truly are our lost kit. To us you are family. If you feel you are nothing fine, so be it, but if you are seeking redemption for the crimes you have committed serve your people and be our Queen. We are in a desperate time of need, our scouts tell us there is a new, more powerful threat upon us. The council is not getting any longer and we do not have the technology the outside world does. If we are attacked somehow again, the Magicats may stop existing.” Catra stares up at her, this woman had to be mad. Did she not hear everything she just said, did she not care about her confession? “Or we can let you go back above ground. Tell me, how long do you think you’ll last? I heard the wound you received was quite nasty.” She flicks her tail and the others stand. “I’ll give you time to think, Sil will continue to care for you. When you are ready to present your answer_ _,_ _Sil will bring you to us.” She turns and just like that they leave the room. Sil follows after them and stops at the door._

_“I will let you rest, but I will return.” Catra sits down on the floor and curls up in the corner. She holds her head. It was pounding._


	3. This is your redemption (Part 2 Final)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me for any errors. I swear I proofread it but ya girl is very much dyslexic. The first part is the final part of Catras flashback.

_ Catra stayed in the healing room for another week. She found herself pacing obsessively around the room. Her whole life she was taught to hate princesses and now she is told she was a princess who was needed to be a queen. Everything felt too, unreal at the moment, wasn’t she just a horde commander? They must be desperate to ask her to take over as queen. Catra snorts, they were fools trusting someone like her to rule a whole kingdom? They didn’t even know her! She stops pacing and sits on the bed. She had a family though, she wondered what would have been like. To grow up in an environment that was not the Horde. Maybe she would have come out differently, without the stains left on her hands from the crimes she committed. She sighs and slides back into the bed, slipping her legs under the covers. The room had no natural light coming in so Catra didn’t know what time of day it was. There was a light knock at the door. Catra doesn’t even bother saying anything knowing exactly who it was. Sil. She continued to come multiple times throughout the days. They didn’t speak to each other after the council left, maybe she knew Catra was not in the mood to talk. Or maybe she just didn’t know what to say. Sil entered and made her way over to the bed sitting a tray of food on the nightstand. _

_ “I brought you lunch.” Catra turns her head to look at the food, it was mainly meat and some bread. She was still getting used to actual real food and not those grey ration bars. She doesn’t say anything and turns her head back to stare up at the ceiling hoping Sil would eventually leave so she can sulk in her thoughts. “How is your wound?” _

_ “Basically healed…” _

_ “I see, that is good.” Sil hovers by the bed and Catra eyes her. They stare at each other for a while until Catra starts to get annoyed. _

_ “What.” She snaps. _

_ “How long do you plan on staying here? You must be getting stir crazy.”  _

_ “It’s fine, I’ve been imprisoned before.” _

_ “Is this what you think this is? Imprisonment?” Sil cocks an eyebrow at her. _

_ “No, I’m just saying, I know what it’s like to feel stir crazy. I can handle being in here.” _

_ “For how long?” Catra sits up and starings up at her. _

_ “Why, are you and the council in that much of a rush for an answer?!”  _

_ “We aren’t really in a rush per se, we understand the position you are in. It has to be hard to take all that information in. I too would react like you if I were in your shoes.” Sil picks up the tray and sits it in Catras lap without a word about it. Catra looks down and then back up at Sil who has taken a seat at the edge of the bed. She leans back on her arms and turns her head to stare at Catra. “Everyone is excited to meet you, the whole kingdom knows. We tried to keep it a secret until we got an answer from you, but we may have had some snoopers catch wind of you being here. No one seems affected really about you being a Horde soldier, I mean they were surprised but not to the point that they want you gone. I think everyone is just relieved you are alive, and that they understand the circumstances. Especially the other older Magicats since they were alive during the time you were taken.”  _

_ “I find that hard to believe, I mean they don’t even know me. I’m a stranger…” _

_ “True, but here we are big on keeping our own safe. It's the way of the Magicats, we stick with each other no matter what. “ Sil glances at her then at the plate tilting her chin to motion her to eat. Catra staring down at the plate, no one has even been happy to see her, well actually only one person did. Someone she has fought and betrayed so many times. Her ears flatten. _

_ “There is nothing left for me, why can’t you see that. Why are you so, so open to all of this?” Sil sat there silently for a moment, it seemed like forever until she responded.  _

_ “I, I don’t know. Honestly. When I found you I was in shock. I haven’t heard of any other Magicat that resided outside the kingdom, but as I got closer I just had this gut feeling to save you. Despite you being in obvious Horde clothing. You looked at me in a daze, and I knew by your eyes who you were. As a head warrior and a member of the council, we are all educated on what the lost princess looked like as a baby and what you could possibly look like as an adult. We know markings can sometimes change but eyes always stay the same and your eyes are rare Catra.” She locks eyes with her and Catra looks away. “Everything points that you are our lost princess.” Here she was a Horde soldier in the presence of a kingdom who was just happy she was alive. A part of her wished this was all a dream and she would wake up back in the Horde going back to her usual routine, yet a stronger part of her longed for something like this. Somewhere to belong without the looming presence of Shadow Weaver or Hordak. She wondered how Adora would react if they both stumbled on this place together. She chuckles slightly to herself and grimaces. Why was she thinking about someone who left her long ago, someone who turned her back on her? Someone she had caused so much pain too, so much suffering. At the end of the day, her destiny would be the same, there was no way to make things right. Not at this point at least. _

_ “As much as I would love to appreciate this kindness, I cannot accept it.” She slides the tray out of her lap and towards Sil. “I shouldn’t be here. If I stay here I will only bring this kingdom more trouble. I should leave.” Catra was about to slide from under the sheets until Sil grabbed the tray and set it on the nightstand. She slides a bit on the bed so that she is sitting directly next to Catra. Catra flinches and gives her a questioning look not sure what to expect. In an instant, Sil places a hand on the back of Catra’s head gently rubbing it. “What are you-” She is cut off by Sil’s second hand rubbing the back of her ear, the two hands moving in sync with each other. Catra wanted to lash out with extended claws, but Sil applied more pressure to the touches. _

_ “When our young get stressed or scared we do this to call them down. It helps release stress by forcing the body to relax. We Magicats are very affectionate beings so pets like this are common.” Catra resists, attempting to appear threatening, but it doesn’t last. It wasn’t long before her eyes slowly close as she leaned into the touches, she hated to admit it but this was relaxing. She could feel all the anxiety, self-doubt, and stress leaving her body. Sil continues to rub behind her ears being sure to apply just the right amount of pressure. They both sit there for a moment, Catra oddly enjoying the comfort that is washed over her. She opens her eyes slowly as Sil begins to remove her hands.  _

_ “I-”  _

_ “It’s alright,” Sil says with a small smile. “I understand. It’s hard isn’t it Catra. Doing things you don’t want to do, pretending to be something or someone you aren’t.” Catra’s eyes widen. _

_ “What do you mean….”  _

_ “I mean being in the Horde, surely that’s not what you wanted, why else would you feel so conflicted about taking the place of the Queen here. A truly corrupt person would jump at this chance, to run a large kingdom and use them for their own personal will. Yet here you are saying you aren’t worthy enough of something as simple as kindness. You can’t tell me the Horde is what you wanted.” Catra stares at her, she felt broken to the point that she felt close to being sick. How was she able to come to that conclusion so quickly, without knowing Catra for more than a few weeks she was able to break down the walls she put up to protect herself. She knew deep down that she didn’t really want any of this, the realization really hit her when prime came. Adora had asked her that before and her answer came out quick yet unsure. That’s how she was though, quick yet unsure. She had never had anything stable in her life. _

_ “I’ve only known the Horde, in the Horde, it doesn’t matter what you want, you just do as you are told.” _

_ “That may be true but you are no longer in the Horde, right? Unless there is something you aren’t telling me.” Catra quickly waves her hands _

_ “No! No, not anymore.” _

_ “Then the ways of the Horde should no longer dictate how you behave.” Sil grabs the tray from the nightstand and places it back in Catras lap again this time holding the sides firm. “You have the chance to follow your own path, live your own life, make your own decisions. We will accept you here, we accepted you the day you were born and we waited patiently for the day you returned. Feeling bad about the things you have done is good, that means you are finally open enough to accept change and start your journey to redemption. It will be a hard journey but over time things will heal. You will heal.” _

_ “And the people I’ve hurt…” _

_ “They will heal as well, they may forgive you, they may not, but trying is what matters most. If you show you are trying to change, trying to be better, trying to do the right thing others will take notice of that.” Catra sighs. “If they don’t they, well have every right to do so as well.” _

_ “Where would I even start? So much has happened. So much damage has been caused. ” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ ”You can start by eating.” Sil says gently letting go of the plate. “And then leading your people, as our queen.” Catra stares at her and then glances down at the plate. She hesitates but she takes a piece of meat and shoves it into her mouth, the flavor was intense despite it being slightly cold now. For the first time in her life, she would decide to do something good. To try to change, to make a real effort, and to prove she was more than just a disposable Horde soldier. Sil smiles and pats her on the head. Catra lightly pushes her hand away causing Sil’s eyes to widen a bit. _

_ “I don’t think petting the head of your queen is acceptable.” She says not looking up from the plate of food she was eating. Sil blinks but grins at her. _

_ “Oh course your majesty, how could I have forgotten.”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ ________ _

  
  


_ They stand at the door, Catras feeling nervous but braces herself for the new life ahead of her. After eating she decided it would be best to go see the council the next morning after she has had another night of rest to make sure this was the right decision. As Sil opens the door she shields her eyes slightly, it was bright outside the room, too bright for her eyes to adjust that quickly. Sil waits patiently before Catra drops her arms and her pupils dilate. Outside this room was a massive hallway with large pillars and window-like openings that allow light to spill over them. She takes a few steps out and glances around a few guards are stationed at a couple of pillars. They stare at her, eyes wide in disbelief. Yes, they knew who she was but seeing her in person was something completely different. Sil shuts the door and guides Catra down the hall, as they pass the guards quickly bow to her. Catra was used to soldiers saluting her but never being bowed to. She felt strange; how was she able to command a whole army yet unable to accept something as simple as a bow. Eventually, they made their way to a set of large doors that were engraved with two feline heads who seem to be roaring. Sil pushed open the doors and moved so Catra could walk in first. Inside was a large stone table with seats around it in the middle of the room. There sat the council members who watched her. Catra takes a deep breath, she could do this. This was her chance for a new start, for a second chance. Sil moves over to an empty seat that was the largest. She slides it back and waits for Catra to sit. With one last deep breath she sits down and Sil takes her place standing next to her.  _

_ “Good to see you again, Catra. I take it you have accepted your role to be our queen?” The orange female speaks giving Catra a warm smile. Catra nods not sure exactly what to say. The rest of the council seemed relieved. “We will try to make this quick, there is much you have to do to complete your transition to become our queen. Let’s start by introducing ourselves properly to you as well as giving you a quick rundown of our ranking system.” _

_ “At the very top of the ranks is you and your future family. You make up the royal family and are the most important family in the kingdom. Everyone follows your orders no matter what. Below is the council, us. Normally there are no more than 5 of us. The council is made up of the top warriors, as in fighters. Sil here is the youngest and has never seen war before. Normally only war heroes are appointed to have a seat as the council, but Sil has proven to be above average. The council's job is to enforce the laws of the royal family. We also will lead the kingdom when all of the royal members are absent. I am Kusa, the oldest of the council and those three are Hekmet, the white male, Tarluk and calico male, and Jarnus, the sold black male. After the council you have the royal guards, they live and eat here at the palace. They will answer directly to the royal family and the royal family only. The royal guards are hand-selected by the council and sometimes the royal family. Are you still with us?” Kusa stares at Catra who is listening tentatively.  _

_ “Yes, I’m keeping up, for the most part.” She mutters the last part to herself. _

_ “Good, after the royal guards there are the warriors. Within the warrior rank, there are two divisions. Scouts and Defenders. Scouts are warriors who travel outside the kingdom to hunt for food, gather resources, and spy. The scouts do not go outside the kingdom, since the falling of the royal family, your disappearance, and the loss of your parents Magicats stay in the safety of the walls. The Defenders are the front line warriors, they go into battle first and are arrow or heavy weapon wielders. All warriors answer directly to the council and there is no real need for the royal family to do anything. We handle all pressing matters. After the warriors, we have the civilians who also answer to the council. They are just normal Magicats that do not serve as a warrior or a royal guard. Of course, they make up a large portion of the population as blacksmiths and shop owners. Our market place is quite large because of how many magicats run shops. Basically, that is how our ranking system works, it is pretty simple but effective. If you don’t have any questions I will continue.” Catra shakes her head and Kusa continues. “Alright then on to the actual steps to complete your transition. The first step is your confessions, you will tell us everything you’ve done as a Horde soldier, and as a Horde commander.” Catra swallows but nods again. “Then you will stand before your people and take a blood oath pleading your life to your people.” _

_ “Blood oath?” Catra questions looking uncomfortable. _

_ “Yes, don’t worry it’s not as bad as it seems. I will draw blood from the palm of your hand, you will take the oath and place that hand onto the ground allowing the blood to seep into the land. This act bonds all queens to her people. It shows true commitment.” Catra glances over at Sil who glances down at her. “It won’t hurt like the wound you had did. We promise.” Catra ears twitch. _

_ “Okay.” _

_ “After the oath, you will be taken to the tailor to get your proper royal clothing and a royal guard will be assigned to be your personal guard.” _

_ “Am I able to choose?” The female tilts her head slightly. _

_ “Of course, who did you have in mind? Or did you want us to line up our finest-” _

_ “Sil. I’d like Sil to be my royal guard.” The council members glance at Sil and Sil stares down at Catra. “She’s the one who healed me, and she’s taken care of me with no complaints. I feel more comfortable if it’s Sil.” Catra had grown used to Sils presence and the thought of someone random following her around all the time made her feel uneasy.  _

_ “Alright, Sil you are now Catras royal guard. You do understand that you will be removed from the council and focus only on protecting and serving the queen. You will stand next to her and take an oath to protect her. You will also be expected to give your own life for the sake of the Queen. Are you willing to take on such a task?” Sil stands tall. _

_ “I am.”  _

_ “Good, now there are other things like clothing being made, getting you into your proper room, and other duties that need to be done. Let us start the first step.” All eyes moved to Catra. “The confessions.” _

_______________________________________________________________

A year, it had been almost a whole year since she’s been here since she accepted the role of Queen. Queen, the idea of it still felt foreign to her. It seemed like not long ago she was fighting in the Horde, her goal to rule and destroy all of Etheria. Now she’s a Queen, ruling a Kingdom of those who look just like her. It was hard in the beginning, trying to be good and to leave her past behind her. The confessions were hard to get out, especially since she had to go into so much detail with everything she had ever done, they seemed frightened or maybe just disappointed but they accepted her stories without judgment. If they did have any judgment they didn’t speak it. After feeling that she had come clean she warned them about Horde Prime and started making a plan for them to have a stronger defense against him. She taught them better combat skills and urged them to start adapting to technology. They were hesitant of course, the Magicats have never been ones to want to deal with technology but with the looming threat of Prime they warmed up to the idea. Catra was not perfect but she had spent enough time with Entrapa to at least know how to do basic things, so she taught them how to disarm basic robots and weapons with drawings. She would have to find a way to get more advanced weapons to the kingdom somehow. She knew the kingdom would be hard to find, but it would only be a matter of time before Prime locates them and she wanted to make sure they were prepared just in case. One thing that Catra was known for was her incredible plans, and that she knew how to lead an army. The kingdom seemed thrilled at her determination and was eager to see what their future held with her as their leader.

Catra struggled the most with getting used to the customs and how things were done here on a social aspect. Back at the Horde all they did was follow orders, there was little time to socialize and truly bond with the others. For the first time in her life, she left truly accepted as if she belonged somewhere. No longer having to live in fear of being severely punished for minor mistakes. The council seemed pleased at the work she was doing as Queen. Sil had proven herself to not only be a good guard but a special friend as well. She seemed to give Catra a sense of security, maybe it was because she was the one who nursed her back to health. Or maybe she reminded Catra of someone. There was a gentle knock at the door and Catra turned her head and muttered a come in from where she laid in her bed. The door opened and Sil stepped in quietly. She had a real room now that was massive, surely too big for one person but she wouldn’t complain. The bed was comfortable at least, comfort seems to be a common theme here. Big fluffy pillows and thick sheets were in every room. There were even pillows placed around the kingdom in perching spots. It was common for Magicats to randomly be found basking in the warmth, laid out on the blankets and pillows. The first time she tried doing so she felt weird, a few younger Magicats no older than maybe 6 climbed into the pillow and blanket nest and snuggled up against her. Without hesitation, they quickly fell asleep purring against her. She was surprised at how comfortable they were with her but quickly remembered this was the nature of the Magicats, the nature of her. She decided to curl around them and drift into a light nap. Sil later revealed she had found her with the young magicats and would tease her about it for weeks and weeks. 

“Your Majesty, breakfast is ready for you. '' In her hand was a tray of food in the other hand was a cup of water. She sits it down on the nightstand and places the tray of food in Catras lap as she sits up in the bed. It was nice to eat real food. She would always cherish this.

“Thank you Sil, you didn’t have to do that. I could have came to the mess hall.” Sil smiled warmly at her. The mess hall was the dining room for all of those who lived in the palace. The royal guards are there and from time to time Catra would join them. Every time she did they seemed shocked yet pleased at her presence. Normally they were messy but when their queen ate with them they tried to be more civilized about it. 

“But it is my job to take care of you, your Majesty. Whatever you need I shall be there.” She says puffing out her chest. Catra smirks as she takes a bit of the food. Sil normally called her Catra when it was just the two of them, and would only call her by royal terms in private to be funny. 

“You’ve been saying that for almost a year now.”

“Because it’s true. I’m here to serve you.” Catra continues eating.

“You’re so sappy sometimes Sil.”

“I know, yet you still keep me around. I wonder why…” She hums causing Catra to chuckle just slightly.

“I wonder why too.”

“Your majesty!” She fake gasps. “My feelings are deeply hurt. However, must I go on.” She dramatically places her arm over her face. Catra starts laughing now and Sil peeps through her arm. “A laugh this early in the morning. What an honor. Now as much as I would love to entertain you all morning there are a lot of things we must do today.”

“Oh like what?” Catra says as she catches her breath.

“Well, a family has given birth to a healthy male kit who you must greet.” It was a tradition for the Queen to greet all newborns into the world. It is thought that the kit will have a good start to life and will live long and healthy. It also enforces the bond between the family and the royal family, leaving no doubt in the citizen's minds that the Queen cared for her people. “Then we need to head over to the market. We now have enough resources for upgrades so we must go and allocate those.”

“That doesn’t seem like a lot.” She takes another bite of her food. “Compared to other stuff I have to do this sounds like an easy day.” Sil leans on the wall next to the bed. 

“I suppose, but allocating resources may take a while, everyone wants the best for their own shop and though we have enough to go around it must be done so fairly.” Catra finishes her food and sets the plate on the nightstand. She takes a few sips of water before climbing out of the bed. She’s wearing a gray sports bra and shorts to match. She makes her way to her dresser finding her custom-made outfit and slipping it on quickly. It fits her perfectly and screams royalty. She remembers when it was first made for her, Sils parents were tailors and were thrilled when they were told Sil would become her royal guard. They insisted on being the ones to make Catras clothing and she could do nothing else but accept. They had good taste she had to admit. Sil moves up to her side, handing her a brush and she takes it, taming her wild hair so that she looks presentable for the day. She hands the brush back to Sil who puts it up and waits for her by the door. Catra soon meets her there. “You know for a queen you sure don’t take a lot of time to get ready,” Sil smirks and opens the door motioning Catra to head out first. Catra rolls her eyes but does so.

“And what about you, I hardly ever see you get ready. What do ya sleep in the clothes you are going to wear the next day.” Sil shuts the door behind them and they walk down the long hallway. The palace was made of stone and rock just like the rest of the kingdom. There were paintings of previous leaders and war heroes along the hallway walls. 

“Oh? Ya know Catra you are a mastermind. I would have never thought of that.” She gives her a toothy grin crossing her arms. Catra rolls her eyes again but smiles. She had grown very close to Sil during her time here and she was the only person in the kingdom she felt it was okay to truly let herself be herself with. 

“Ya know one of these days your jokes are going to get you in trouble.” 

“Oh? And why might you say that?” 

“Well for starters I doubt the council will be happy about you playing pranks on the queen. Remember when you switched out my food with fake fish and bread.” Sil snickers but tries to hide it, barely keeping a straight face. 

“I know not of what you speak of your majesty. A royal guard to the queen would never do such a thing.” 

“Riiight. I know you remember.” She pokes Sil in the arm just as they passed a few standing guards. They quickly bow to Catra and she gives them a slight nod. “Anyways let's get a move on. If the marketplace will take us awhile we should greet the new parents first.”

_____________________________________________________

Babies were something Catra felt nervous around, during her time here there had already been 6 births this one making 7. Magicats reproduced quickly it seems so she had done this whole greeting newborns into the world several times. Still, no matter how many times she held a child in her arms she still felt nervous. The parents of the child she was currently holding were first-time parents and were very excited to have their queen greet their kit. They were practically almost in tears when the child nuzzled into Catras chest though this only made Catra more nervous. She did better with children who could already walk and talk. After a few moments, she hands the child back to the parents and thanks her over and over again for coming. 

“No need to thank me, take care of him.” 

“Oh, we will be your majesty! We know he will live a long and fruitful life, especially now that he has been held in the arms of our queen. We are very honored to have you here.” Catra smiles and nods to them before walking out of the home with Sil. 

“You are a natural at that.” Catra cocks an eyebrow and looks up at Sil.

“At what, awkwardly holding a small child in my arms while the kid's parents cry the entire time?”   
  
”I don’t think you were awkward.” Catra gives Sil a look. “Ah maybe you were but you brought peace of mind to that family! That is good.”

“It’s my job to greet the babies, if it was up to me I wouldn’t be holding them. Last time one of them peed on me.” She grimaces at the memory and Sil grins widely at her. 

“It wasn’t that bad, a little pee is a sign of a healthy kit!”

“You weren’t the one getting peed on!” She crosses her arms.

“Maybe you should ask the kits next time to not pee on you.” Sil places her hand on her chin pretending to think and Catra glares at her.

“Sil.” They lock eyes and Sil looks at her with a smug look. 

“What? Have you thought of that before?” Catra rolls her eyes as they walk making their way to the marketplace district. HalfMoons layout had a tactical feel to it. In the center of the kingdom was the royal palace; it was large with a dome-like top and a stone wall bordering it. Within these walls, only those who have been escorted could get in. When escorted in there were the royal guard barracks to the left of the entrance and to the right their training grounds. There were several watch posts located on the walls, always keeping watchful eyes. Outside the palace borders was a long path that led directly to the market district which took up almost as much land as the palace. There one could find almost everything they need or want. Blacksmiths who specialized in creating effective weapons and shields, tailors who could make the most elegant clothing, farmers who sold the freshest foods one could taste and so much more. Catras first time in the market district was a bit stressful, she had never seen so many gather peacefully in one place, being so used to constantly fighting she was sure trouble would break loose yet that did not come. Though there were minor bickering the market district was a peaceful place to be. The civilians lived in clusters of homes that were built into the side of the underground stone, large bridges hug high up so one could get from one neighborhood to the other. At each corner of the kingdom were warrior barracks ensuring to stop any threats before they were able to breach the kingdom. 

Once in the market district, Catra and Sil made their way to each shop to speak with the shopkeepers. Each shop would have the opportunity to expand to better increase inventory and even be allowed some fancy upgrades to make their shops more appealing. Of course, everyone pitched why their shop needed more space than the other. Catra and Sil weren’t surprised by their arguments and were prepared to dismiss them quickly. Everyone would be getting an equal amount of upgrades and expansion that would avoid conflict within the district. At least that is what Sil had in mind. 

“But your majesty I know you know what’s good but we sell prime meats. My shop is more important than a jewelry shop.” Catra gives the older male a look and he swallows hard. “I-I’m not saying Jewelry is bad! It is quite fine to have, may I add that any placed on you would look lovely.” He gives her a nervous smile. “I don’t have to have the expansion, but some extra upgrades would be nice. Better knives, maybe some extra storage. I could live with that.” Catra looks at Sil for a moment then back at the male. 

“It should be divided equally, but food is something you cannot live without. Sil.” She looks at her again. “Do you think we can get some extra resources to do an expansion and more upgrades?” 

“Hm, I suppose so, but it will require more time to complete them.” Sil looks at the male. “Your shop will be down for more than a few weeks if we do so. Are you alright with that? Of course, we will provide space for a temporary shop. It won’t be a nice one though.” The shopkeeper nods.

“Of course! I will take what is given to me.” He beams. 

“Alright, we will make sure the builders know about the extra upgrades.”

“Thank you Council Sil, and much thanks to you my queen! We are honored that you have given us more. Please wait here, I have something as a token of my gratitude.” The male disappears into the back of the shop. 

“Ya know we were supposed to divide it equally.” 

“I know that.” Catra huffs. “But we need food to live so….” Sil smirks.

“That’s true but something tells me you just want to have more meat, you didn’t do this with the bakery.”

“Shut it.” Catra quickly elbows Sil in the side right before the shop owner returns with a wrapped large slab of meat.

“Here, this is the finest cut we have here. I’m sure the royal chefs will cook this to your liking, your majesty.” Sil takes it and Cats tail twitches slightly in excitement. She has grown to really like the food here in the kingdom, specifically the meat. In the Horde all they had was tasteless ration bars so have such primes meats was a bit of Catras addiction. 

“Thank you, we will check on the shop as the expansion starts.” She gives a slight wave and they head out. “I think that’s everyone, let's head back to the palace and get that cooked. 

“Hungry already?” Sil falls in line walking next to her.

“Are you not? We have been out and about for a few hours now. It’s time for lunch.” Sil chuckles. “What? What are you laughing at?” Catra crosses her arms glaring at her.

“I just find it funny how you barely wanted to eat when you first came and now here you are excited about food. It’s cute.” Sil smiles and Catra blushes.

“It’s not cute, I'm just hungry and you should be too.”

“I suppose I could eat, it does take a lot to feed the beast.” Sil flexes her arms dramatically, meat in one hand. 

“Hey! Don’t drop it!” Sil just chuckles and they continue walking. 

“So, do you like it here yet?” Catra gives her a confused look.

“Do I like it here? I stayed didn’t I?”

“Yes, but do you feel at home here. Your first few months were rough, we all could tell you felt out of place here. You seem.” Sil thinks for a moment trying to find the right words. “More comfortable now, like the real Catra is coming out. The Catra that could have been before the Horde.” 

“Oh…” Was she more comfortable? Halfmoon felt like home to her, though she did still have some old Horde habits this place had a special hold on her. If this is what she would have been like if it wasn’t for the Horde she didn’t mind it. She was less hostile and with real food, her body filled out more. Overall she felt happier and more at peace with life in general. “Yeah.” She smiles slightly. “I guess so.” Sil smiles in return and gently brushes her shoulder with hers.

“I knew you’d like us eventually.” Catra eyes her and is met with a toothy grin. 

“You wish.” She gently nudges her as the palace gets closer into view. They spot guards surrounding three others and they quickened their pace. As they get closer to get a clearer view Catras eyes widen at the three outsiders, Sil speaks before she can even form a thought.

“What’s going on here!?” 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait! Work work work! I SWEAR Catra and Adora will interact in chapter 4. Not sure how many chapters this will be, more than likely a long story. It covers a lot of Catras redemption.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Updates at least once a week. If I have time twice a week. All artwork is drawn by me. If you wanna check out my other stuff here are my social medias!
> 
> Tumblr: Eternalcatradora  
> Twitter: NinethZodiac  
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